Blackout (combiner)

Blackout is a Decepticon from the Energon portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

"It's one of those U.N. black helicopters, only...painted...purple."
"That's exactly what they would do."

Blackout is a member of the Destruction Team, five super-energon-powered military vehicles who combine to form the mighty Bruticus Maximus. In life, he was a nonentity, and he remained so in death, only in more pieces.

Blackout's only real distinction is his name, which he shares with at least two other Transformers in his own time period alone, to say nothing of the rest of the multiverse.

Fiction

Energon cartoon

Shortly after awakening from their long slumber, Bruticus Maximus and Constructicon Maximus were ordered by Galvatron to pursue the fleeing Superion Maximus after the Autobot attempted to attack the Decepticon leader. Both combiners separated into their individual components and gave chase. They later pledged their allegiance to Galvatron, believing him to be the future of Cybertron. Wishes

When Six Shot pinpointed an Autobot signal on the planet's surface, Galvatron sent Constructicon Maximus and Bruticus Maximus out to investigate. The two combiners came upon Autobot refugees looking about the crashed Miranda II for survivors, and decided to have some fun by beating them up. Arcee and Kicker sped by to allow the Autobots to escape, and Bruticus Maximus split into Blackout and his other components to give them chase. They were unable to catch the pair, but came upon them again after the Omnicons had managed to clog up an energon pipeline, hindering the Decepticons' planetary defense grid. Bruticus Maximus assumed his combined form to gun them down, but was countered by the arrival of Optimus Prime and other Autobot reinforcements. Break Through

During a virtual training match between the Autobots and Decepticons, Blackout was part of Barricade's Destruction Team, fighting the Air Team alongside the Construction Team. They combined into Bruticus Maximus to defeat Superion Maximus, only to be defeated in turn by Optimus Supreme. Distribution

Blackout and the other Destruction Team member eventually paid for their treachery during a final show down with the Air Team. Bruticus Maximus and Constructicon Maximus double teamed Superion Maximus, who held his own and destroyed Constructicon's spark before the Autobot was reduced to just Storm Jet. However, as Bruticus was crushing Storm Jet to death, Blackout was destroyed by Superion's lost brother. The rest of the Destruction team followed Blackout into oblivion soon after. Spark

Killed by a nameless robot. That's worse than simply having no personality.

Toys

Energon

Hey, guys! Check out my HANDgun! GET IT? HANDGUN!? Because it's a gun and it's a hand and aw okay I'll shut up now.

• Bruticus (Multi-pack, 2004)

• ID number: SD-21
• Release date: October 14, 2014
• Accessories: Energon blaster, Decepticon-type energon star
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro)

Takara's Super Link Blast Off shares a mold with his teammate Vortex, transforming into purple and gray assault helicopter somewhat similar to an AH-1 Cobra.

Blast Off can form an arm or leg to any Energon-style "Powerlinx Combiner" super robot, though his nominal placement is as the left arm to Bruticus. His quintuple-barreled "super energon" cannon can form either a hand or footplate for his limb-modes.

All five members of Bruticus were only available in the Takara Super Link line as part of a complete super-robot multi-pack, released in the seventeenth and final wave of toys, of which Bruticus was the only release.

This mold was also used for the Fun Publications Transformers Collectors' Club-exclusive Timelines Topspin, and the 2008 Universe series Bruticus Maximus team members Vortex and Swindle, who in turn double as Revenge of the Fallen Vortex and Swindle. Another planned redeco, movie Reverb, was canceled.

• Comparison between Blackout and his Japanese counterpart Blast Off at Autobase Aichi

(Hasbro stock imagery not reflective of the final product)

• Blackout (Energon Class, 2005)

• Team ID number: D3
• Accessories: Energon blaster, Decepticon-type energon star
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro)

The Hasbro release of Blackout was sold on an individual card, in the eighth and final wave of Energon "Energon Class" (aka "Basic") toys.

Blackout is largely similar to Takara's Blast Off; the most immediately-noticeable difference is that he has the "Powerlinx" gear symbol on the left side of his tail-strut, a detail Blast Off lacks. His clear-blue plastic is also a lighter shade, his gray plastic has a cooler tone, and he has very dark charcoal-gray paint instead of Blast Off's warmer dark gray.

• More information on Blackout at TFU.info

Notes

• Early information from Hasbro's official Transformers website listed Blackout under an older working name, Raptor.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Blast Off (ブレストオフ Buresuto Ofu)